Arts Programs

Sound, science, music and art are around and within us. It's a matter of finding an opportunity to experience it and a moment to savor it. That's why Thingamajigs hosts annual festivals to bring the community together in the spirit of curiosity, creativity and collaboration.

Aeolian Day

It takes a green lawn, the summer sun and the sea breeze to kick off a unique celebration of the sound of the wind as personified by the Greek god Aeolus. In the month of May, various artists, artist groups and school children exhibit their sound sculptures to be played by the wind. The Presentation Artists include designers, makers, scientists and musicians; and their offerings range from traditionally-inspired Aeolian Harps and wind chimes to intricately-geared automatons and electronic triggering devices.

The event is a free community festival, attracts all age groups and is supported by inspired volunteers.

May 2018

Music For People & Thingamajigs Festival

The Music For People & Thingamajigs (MFP&T) Festival is an annual event that was first held in 1997, and led to the formation of Thingamajigs - the organization. The festival is dedicated to the promotion of experimental music that incorporates made/found instruments, alternate tuning systems, and interdisciplinary collaborations not often associated with festivals of music. MFP&T festival offers a mix of workshops, music making, and performances, with the goal to reach a large, diverse audience of all ages. It also serves as a important local touchstone to bring together composers and makers from different generations, genres, and geographical regions.

The festival has been held each year for 19 years now, and among various renowned performers were Carla Kihlstedt, Walter Kitundu, Peter Whitehead, Brenda Hutchinson, William Winant and Laetitia Sonami. It is the only annual event of its kind in the world and has gained regional and national recognition with printed and online press coverage. 7x7 (a magazine that celebrates the best of San Francisco) listed the festival as one of its Three Reasons to Cross The Bay Bridge and VirtualTourist.com (a leader in airlines’ inflight magazines) listed it as one of their “Top 10 Summer Music Festivals”.

The year 2017 will host one of the grandest gatherings of artists and works, since it coincides with the birth centennial of Lou Harrison. The festival will be a double celebration, and along with its festival performances, it will include the final shows of Harrison 100/Thingamajigs 20.

OCT 2017

Pacific Exchange

It is a concert series that brings composers and performers who call the Pacific Ocean home, together on a single concert stage. Thingamajigs created this event in 2000 to provide a venue to share ideas, influences, and audiences with our ocean neighbors. The intention is to continue the rich history of such artistic exchanges in the Bay Area, and highlight their importance to our expressive local culture. The concerts have exhibited the music of composers from Japan, Korea, Chile, Peru, New Zealand and the United States. The performance group Tov, Megumi Matsuhashi, Jean Ann, Kiyoshi Suzuki, Edward Schocker, Shizuka Takeuchi, Tomoko Sogabe, Akiko Hasegawa, Niji Ito and Soo-Yeon Lyuh are just a few of the artists that have been featured by this series.